Alappuzha:
Seven years after the massive tsunami devastated coastal Kerala on December 26, 2004, the fisherfolk are still left in the lurch owing to the lethargy of the government.
Lakhs of people, who depend on the sea to make a living, are now afraid of it. The tsunami that wreaked havoc on coastal areas, especially the Karunagappally and Cherthala taluks, claimed over 33 lives and caused damage worth crores of rupees in the district.
Since the tragedy struck, the people living in the coastal areas have been struggling to rebuild their lives. Though crores of rupees were spent in the name of tsunami relief, the funds did not greatly benefit the needy and the poor.
There are allegations that the government diverted crores of rupees for the renovation of tourist spots and repair of roads in the interior parts of the district and other areas.
The people in Aarattupuzha, Tharayilkadav, Perumpilly and Valiyazheekkal areas were the most hit in the tsunami. Over 1,300 houses were fully damaged and 2,100 houses partially in these areas.
The tsunami had destroyed the sea wall in different parts of Aarattupuzha and other coastal panchayats. However, the reconstruction of the wall has not yet started in several parts.
In Purakkad panchayat, over 500 families are still living on the edge of the waves. To add to the woes, more than five-km stretch of the land was eroded during the last monsoon. The people fear that their houses will be taken by the sea any time.
"Repeated requests for the construction of the sea wall were neglected by authorities," the locals say.
Post-tsunami, the government and Non-Government Organisations took the initiative in constructing houses for the victims. The government contributed three cents of land and gave funds to construct the houses. But this could not compensate for what they had lost in the sea.
"Most of the fishermen lost over 10 cents of land, their houses and valuables, including gold ornaments," said Bhargavan, Puthenkalathil of Aarattupuzha.
Sukumaran Kuttintepadiyathil of Tharayilkadav, who had owned more than 50 cents of land in the coastal area, lost the property in the calamity. Now he is living in the three-cent plot provided by the government.
"Sukumaran had earned the land through years of hard work. Now the land lies abandoned near the coast. This is just one example. A number of people have lost their land and property. They are left with nothing," said Bhargavan.
The government had sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh for the construction of houses. However, the locals allege that the money was insufficient to construct even the foundation of the house.
"Most of the fishermen took loans from private financiers to complete the house. And now that has become an additional burden on them," said Kunjumon of Mambra, Aarattupuzha.
"The majority of fishermen lost their boats in the tsunami. The government had sanctioned Rs 25,000 for each family to buy a boat. Initially, only a few people got the benefit. Later, the government changed its decision and reduced the relief amount to Rs 12,500. The government also distributed Rs 6,000 for buying fishing nets. However, the majority of the fishermen have not yet received any assistance from the government for buying nets," Kunjumon said.
The construction of a primary health centre and Ayurveda dispensary is also lagging in Aarattupuzha. "The fund had been allotted for the project. But the inaction of the government and other agencies is delaying the construction of the primary hospital," said Shaji Altharamoottil, a shop owner in Tharayilkadav.
As per the government report, 33 people - 27 in Karthikappally taluk and six in Chertahala taluk - died and 454 were injured in Alappuzha district in the tsunami.
Twenty villages were affected by the high waves, with 2727 houses fully and 4389 houses partially damaged. As per the estimate of the government agencies, a loss of Rs 20.45 crore and Rs 7.06 crore was incurred owing to complete and partial destruction of houses respectively. The government puts the loss due to the damage to the fishing nets at Rs 10.50 crore. Household items worth Rs 2.1 crore were lost in the tsunami. The agencies calculated that a sum of Rs 1.4 crore was needed for the repair of roads. The loss due to the destruction of electric line and other equipment is Rs 4.84 crore.